Respire
by Eyrine
Summary: 6 Years have passed since Chihiro last went through the tunnel. Gradually, she lost every memory of the Spirit World. She is a normal high schooler, but why has she started feeling empty? Disclaimer: I own nothing.
1. Doubt

CHAPTER I

-doubt-

_Memory is a complicated word. Normally, storing and retrieving memories can be as simple as breathing. It's a biological function. When we can't find a fact in the depth of our mind…it most probably never existed in the first place, or it is long forgotten. Nevertheless, sometimes, not recalling doesn't necessarily mean we have forgotten._

Just on the curve of the street, when it goes on and forks up into more, was one of the town's most famous high schools, surrounded by trees and neighboring with a park. It was early in the morning and the pavements were inundated with pedestrians that maybe wanted to avoid sticking in the horrible traffic. Bunches of students started arriving and filling up the school grounds. A group of loud girls passed through the doors and sat on the grass, under a cluster of trees.

"I don't know about you guys but I think that this year's awesome! We are older, more mature, and first and foremost…we chase after as many boys as we can!" said enthusiastically the one with the long, black hair.

"Mature one speaking!" said Yuuki.

"Yeah sure…as if you haven't dated enough already!" Aiko backed at her.

A couple of others giggled at her comment while Aiko opened her mouth again.

"What about you, Chihiro?"

The brunette with straight, shoulder length hair, who hadn't spoke so far, took her eyes off the ground and vaguely looked at the tree above.

"We're in the middle of fall, and yet everything seems so…difficult. Math, chemistry…even PE is troublesome. I'm stressed already."

"Aw, come on! You always frown like that…you just push yourself too hard…"

"Maybe you're right." Chihiro smiled.

The group gathered up at the sound of the bell and they all rushed to enter the building. The huge mob of students split up and settled down into classrooms. The bunch of girls got in a spacious, bright room. Chihiro sat on her usual seat near the wall. She liked to lean on it and close her eyes when her teachers weren't looking. Everyone started chatting and her group of friends went away into a corner to talk about their projects. Chihiro looked at everyone. All of her classmates seemed so happy.

Why weren't they feeling the same thing as she did? For the last few days, it would seem as if she was absent from this world. Her friends were close to her ever since she had moved into town, but now they seemed as distant as ever. There was something that hindered her merging with her surroundings. Chihiro couldn't tell what it was.

The first two hours of geometry went well, then grammar and another hour of PE. PE used to be Chihiro's favorite subject at junior high. Although she was clumsy and always got caught up into accidents, it was the only subject that kind of seemed relaxing. She particularly liked it because she loved swimming after a tiring day, it would seem as if she could fuse in with the water. However, her current school didn't have swimming premises, and sports didn't look so fun anymore.

After playing and fooling around with the others, she went back to change into her school uniform and grab a bottle of mineral water. Just three more classes…hang in there. For some reason she just wanted to go home and do nothing. She was pretty sure that her friends had noticed her semi-depressing mood, but she had no words to explain it to them. How would they understand anyway?

Upon hearing the last bell, she hastily gathered her stuff and grabbed her backpack. After saying goodbye to her classmates she followed the current of people to the exit. Taking the path on her left, she circled around the building towards the park. She touched one of the wooden benches and looked around.

She couldn't help but admire the beautiful scenery. It was a particularly windy day, and sunny despite being in the middle of autumn. The trees around the premises had started shedding their leaves in the hues of golden and crimson. A thin layer of leaves had already covered the pavement, and the wind still swirled a bunch of them in the air. She followed the dancing leaves with her eyes, until she saw something.

Among the people on the other side of the road, there was someone who caught her attention. A young man in a dark coat and hat, his messy, choppy hair was black but shined green under the sun. He was far away, Chihiro couldn't see his face very well, but something ignited inside of her and it looked as if everything else had frozen. Without realizing, she found herself crossing the road without caring about the cars, making way through the crowd, trying not to lose him out of sight. Someone mumbled some insult as she apparently pushed him over too hard, but she continued headlong onward. She finally pushed aside a couple of students and stopped.

"Ha-"

But he was gone. Chihiro scouted the place with her eyes, but he didn't seem to be anywhere nearby. She raised her hand on her mouth. What was it that rushed to escape from her lips? Was it a name? She had already forgotten what she was about to gasp out. The girl was sure that she had never seen this person before, yet, for those few seconds she was thinking of nothing else but to get close to him.

She slowly turned around and strode along the pavement, taking the way back home. _Maybe I am starting to go crazy, after all._


	2. Something Is Moving

CHAPTER II

-something is moving-

"Hurry or you're going to be late again!" Chihiro's mother shouted for the fourth time.

"Yeah…coming" she muttered but instead remained leaning on one elbow, gazing out of the window. The city had just started to wake up, like a huge brain of some unknown creature. She noticed a small bird landing on a branch nearby, it looked as if it was trying to find leftover seeds or fruit.

"You are so lucky…" said Chihiro "Us, humans, we often think too much…it kinda messes up our minds, you know."

Surprised, she blinked upon seeing the bird looking at her direction. It moved its head into something that looked like a nod.

"Chihiro! Come down this instant! I can't go and make up excuses for your being late again!"

She unwillingly walked away from the window, still keeping her eyes on the bird until she got out of the room. When she entered the kitchen, a delicious smell made her come back to reality.

"Oh, pancakes? That's a rare one!" she exclaimed.

"I made them just for you…but it seems that you don't have time to eat properly again" her mom smiled behind her shoulder.

"I'm sorry…I'll just grab a couple for the way, okay?"

"Do as you wish…Ah, busy kids these days…"

Hanging her bag on one shoulder, she quickly got outside on the busy streets. She paced hastily, only stopping at the streetlights. She hated being late, and her mother couldn't always pay for her absentmindedness. She pulled a string off her wrist and tied her hair back into a ponytail, leaving the bangs fall casually on her forehead. After 10 minutes of turning and crossing roads, she finally slowed down when she reached the park near her school.

As she was passing by, she glanced at the spot where she had seen the strange boy. Three days had passed since then, and Chihiro couldn't get it out of her mind. She couldn't describe the feeling when her eyes met him, let alone the desire to talk to him. One thought triggered another. Once again, she wondered why she felt so weird. Her family were all healthy, as well as her friends. She didn't have any economical problems and no one to pressure her. Maybe it was just the level of the studies and the unknown of the future.

"What are you staring at?"

"Huh? Yuuki! Good morning."

"Come on…the bell's already rung."

They both rushed through the gates, and almost running they got up the stairs to the third floor. Luckily, the teacher hadn't arrived before them. Yuuki suited herself at her usual spot with the others, while Chihiro threw her bag under the seat, after taking out the biology book. One last glance at the important stuff before the test.

Five minutes passed and Ms Mochizuki still wasn't there. The whole class started making a fuss and some of the boys offered to go to the office and check things out. Just as they were about to get out, the door slid open and the teacher barged inside in a hurry, carrying a pile of books and documents.

"I'm sorry everyone…" she panted.

Some of the loud students went back to their seats, apparently disappointed.

"Well…I'm always so punctual so you must all be wondering why I was late" she said and placed the thick-framed glasses on her nose.

"I had to settle some things with your new classmate. Oh there he is!" she nodded to the door. It was the first time Chihiro lifted her eyes from the book. Indeed, she could hear steps. Their new classmate walked in and stood at the door.

"I'm sorry for being late. I just somehow…lost my way here" his voice was steady, beautiful. Chihiro nailed her eyes on him, doubting her own sense of vision.

"It's okay my child! There are others who still lose their way around…even if they've been here for a year…" her eyes wandered enigmatically on some of her students "Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

He turned to the rest of the class, his hair was shimmering from the morning rays.

"My name's Kohaku. Nice to meet you all."

The newcomer went towards the only unoccupied seat near the end of the second row. Chihiro continued staring at him, despite being on the opposite end of the room. Whispers started growing around the class. She closed her eyes firmly, confused. _What…is going on…?_

"Okay now! I know a test is a horrible welcome…so maybe we'll leave it for the next time. Everyone open your books on page 32…"

Chihiro could only hear fragments of the teacher's lecture…_multicellular…eukaryotes…organism…_

_Suddenly, everything seemed so far away. Trees and vegetation were all around. But…wait. How is this possible? The classroom didn't even have a single pot with flowers. She was looking at her parents, they were about to go into an old, strange tunnel. Her father was slimmer and her mom's hair was short. _

_"Let's go back, dad!" Chihiro heard her own voice for the first time, it was sweeter, thinner, younger._

_"Come on, it's alright!" her dad assured her._

_"I'm not going!" _

_Then she glanced at the strange statue on her right. It looked as if it was smiling…such a weird smile. Chihiro thought there was something evil about it. And her parents had already started walking inside. _

_"Chihiro, wait in the car" said her mom before turning away._

_"Mom…wait!" she yelled running to her parents. She didn't want to be left alone. _

_Soon, the light disappeared._

"Miss Ogino! I'm sorry to interrupt your sleep. Maybe you'd like to continue in the headmaster's office?"

At lunch break, the group of girls chose a large table in the middle of the cafeteria and started vividly chatting about Kohaku. Chihiro was partly distracted, because she knew that he was sitting a couple of tables behind.

"But…Kohaku?" Yuuki rolled her eyes "That's kind of a…weird name."

"Looks like he uses hair dye…" Aiko laughed.

"No, he doesn't." The words rushed out without her realizing…

"And how do you know that, Chi?"

Really…how did she know? She didn't even know his name, up to that day.

"Uh…I mean, it looks natural, right?" she said trying to keep her voice normal.

"What do you think of him, really?"

Sometimes, Chihiro hated her friend just because of all those questions. She stole a glance at him again. He didn't look sad, nor happy. Maybe disciplined, gracious, like those rich noble kids. But even at a first glance, no one could call him spoiled.

"He looks like a nice guy."

"And cute too…"

"Duh, Aiko…"

Through the rest of the day, she observed him as he spent the recesses sitting under the trees, alone most of the time. He seemed lost in thought. Whenever someone talked to him, he responded politely. Some of the students seemed interested in him, but most of them just continued their daily habits without paying attention. Chihiro couldn't exactly tell what…but something was definitely odd. Something only she could feel. No, he was a normal person, just like all the others.


	3. Awakening

CHAPTER III

-awakening-

He passed most of the night walking around his small room. He paced absentmindedly, sitting on the bed, or the floor, then repeating the process all over again. He pressed his palms on his face, run his fingers through his dark hair, even opening the window to feel the cool breeze. But nothing would help. Kohaku was aimlessly wandering through the back and forth of his mind. Trying to find a single trace of his own life, his own self.

It has already been a month, since he found himself in this world. He had opened his eyes, and the first thing he had seen was the dark, narrow street he had been lying on. It should have been somewhere between evening and dusk, or so he thought, judging by the color of the sky. After observing the quiet alley, and his black clothes, he started thinking. _Kohaku Nushi_. _That's my name_. And apart from that, he could find out nothing else.

He didn't know what had brought him to this city, nor that school. Why did he even go to school? He was merely following something like an instinct, no, it was as if he was being pulled by some unknown force.

He looked at the random objects scattered in his room, under the dim light. A gentle, drizzling sound made him realize it started raining.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chihiro brushed her hair off her eyes, and tried to concentrate on class. The teacher's idle and slow voice didn't help whatsoever. It would have been easier if she wasn't struck by that odd feeling once again. She constantly had the sense of his eyes on her back. She turned around a couple of times, but she never saw him looking at her direction. He was always paying attention; his face was empty of emotions. At this rate, Chihiro thought that her grades would dive down right away. But for some reason, school and grades was the last thing bothering her. She had never been so enthusiastic in particular, maybe because everything seemed so troublesome anyway.

Some time later, the usual group was sitting on the usual table in the cafeteria. The girls had already analyzed everything about their new classmate, confirmed other gossip sources, went through every detail of the latest exam. Not having anything to talk about, they just started teasing each other and fooling around. Chihiro looked around and apparently, the person she had in mind was nowhere in the cafeteria.

She had thought about it many times, how she couldn't get him out of her head, even though they had never exchanged a word. It was something above her head. In no longer than a second, she knew what she had to do.

"Guys, I gotta go."

Aiko dropped Yuuki's plastic fork and looked up.

"Why, what's up?"

"I have to…um, hand my paper to Mr. Oshiro" Chihiro was a terrible liar, and she knew it.

"Huh. Okay." Aiko lifted one eyebrow.

"Alrighty. See ya later" said Yuuki, still looking for the fork on the floor.

She took the exit to the right and walked quickly past the announcement board, along the hallway. The weather was nice; the sunlight was shining on the grass and leaves, despite the previous night's rain. She was grateful for the sunlight. Scouting the yard, she knew exactly where to look, and it didn't take her long to find him.

She gathered all the courage she could get as she walked straight to the tree. Kohaku raised his head to look at her, even though she was quite a long distance away.

_No, I'm not backing away now…_

After some torturous seconds she reached the spot and forced a smile. He didn't look surprised to see her, not even curious. He always had this sense of maturity, maybe even wisdom. Chihiro was still trying to figure it out.

"I…I didn't formally introduce myself. I'm Chihiro" she said and wished her voice was clearer.

"Hey, there. Uh…why not sit down?" he said as his eyes focused on her.

Chihiro felt a small spark of encouragement but it didn't stop her vivid pulse. She sat on the grass beside him, wondering what else to say.

"Have you noticed the birds lately?" he said as he was randomly glaring ahead "Well, in fact all animals."

"…The…birds?" she repeated as something moved in her memory. She had indeed seen a strange bird, but it was definitely just her imagination "So what about them?"

"They are trying to tell us…something. I get that feeling. But I guess you just think I'm crazy."

"I don't, really. I know how it is when others defy your thoughts" Chihiro knew it, but she couldn't exactly remember when something similar had happened to her.

"I see. I appreciate that."

She discerned that sincere tone in his voice again that made her think of something familiar. Something so far away she couldn't touch, but it was definitely there.

"So…Kohaku, where are you from?" she tried to hide her curiosity and smile.

"It's kind of…a long story. I have grown up in Osaka but my parents wanted me to come here to, uhh, help my grandmother who lives alone. I actually live in my own apartment myself."

"Oh. That's good" _duh, lame_ "I'm still living with my family. Well, I'm an only child actually."

Kohaku leaned on the tree trunk and closed his eyes. For a moment, Chihiro thought that he looked like something out of this world. As if he had been drawn out of a fairytale.

"Chihiro…" he muttered and turned his emerald eyes on her. His voice became serious again.

"Eh…yeah?" she said and felt her blood boiling under her skin.

"Can I trust you?"

"If you feel so. I suppose you can."

"Nah, just joking" he retorted, and they both burst into a small laughter.

"You're a weird one. And I thought that I was the only odd kid around here…" she exclaimed.

"If you put it like that I guess I can't be offended. Anyway, I'm going upstairs, I have to finish something about biology. Are you coming?"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Hey guys! This is chapter 3 at last! I've been really busy with school. Duh what a huge pain. Hope my story isn't too lame, I did my best with the writing. Also, English is not my native language so don't shoot me. And ofc REVIEW OR I'LL HAUNT YOU TILL U DIE A VERY PAINFUL DEATH. Aha.**


	4. Magic

CHAPTER IV

-magic-

"_Do you believe in magic…?"_

Chihiro admired the tear-like rain drops falling down from the sky. The city's heart kept on beating under this downpour. She randomly observed the dancing night lights from her window. For some minutes she pondered on Kohaku's odd question. The weirdest thing was that he seemed to talk freely about random things, as if he was from some other dimension. Chihiro had already come to the conclusion that he was surrounded by such a strange aura. However, no matter how much she thought about it, she could never find a reason why.

Ever since she first saw him, she started believing that small pieces of her earlier life came to the surface. Like fragments of memories…small pieces of images or sounds. An underwater railway, a huge room filled up with tons of toys and teddy bears, her hands stained with blood. They could even be things she had dreamt of, she didn't know for sure.

She snapped out of what seemed like hypnosis, and grabbed her messenger bag from the floor. Glancing at her watch, she muttered a little curse. If she didn't run, it would be the fifth time she'd be late for her painting lessons. The cool air cheered her up a bit, as she walked and merged into the sea of umbrellas.

She reached one of the city's central parks and took a narrow path between some trees to save time. It was dark and there was hardly anyone around the park. She instantly regretted going that way and felt a small trembling. Her steps became quicker, splashing into the shallow ponds created by the rain. Here, the sound of the drizzling on the tree leaves was almost a noise.

Chihiro discerned the end of the park some fifty meters ahead, where cars and people continued roaming around. She felt relieved and continued onward. However, her vivid walking ceased when she noticed something to her left. She got closer to one of the wooden benches and observed what looked like a dark mass of clothes. No, it was a human. There was someone sitting on a bench, probably a man, and he was drenched from head to toe. Chihiro felt that urge to go closer once again, because something yelled inside her head that it was someone she knew so well…

The person looked up as soon as Chihiro held her umbrella above him. She didn't feel the tiniest bit of surprise. Strangely enough, she knew that she would meet him before even choosing to cross the park.

"What are you doing here?" she asked calmly.

"I'm…trying to think…" Kohaku's voice was as weak as a whisper, but it reached Chihiro's ears effortlessly.

"Out in the rain? You're gonna get sick…"

"No. I'm okay" he responded and smiled back at her.

"You seem sort of…lost. Did anything happen?"

"Not now. It's something I've been trying to figure out for a long time."

"Maybe I…maybe I can help" she smiled and made sure to sound encouraging.

"I don't know if you can actually-"

"Well, then just hang out…I won't be a bother, I can't stand thinking that you'll be all by yourself…"

Kohaku looked down for some seconds and then returned the kind smile.

-//-

"My head aches…"

Kohaku wrapped a towel around his head while water drops dampened his dry white shirt. He sat on the floor and kept on staring down.

"It's normal after sitting out in the rain for so long" she responded quietly. Her eyes observed the rest of the room. It was quite plain, with white walls and simple furniture. She was quite surpsised at how tidy the apartment was, given that Kohaku was a male.

"You know…" he said and smiled at her "The truth is that I'm nothing like what I told you. I'm not from Osaka, I have no grandmother here, I don't even know if I do have a family."

"I…figured that much" Chihiro's voice didn't hide any coldness or irony, just compassion.

"I'm sorry for lying. I just couldn't find anything else, because you see…I don't know anything. Nothing at all…"

"You mean like…amnesia or something?"

"Well, I woke up alone somewhere some months ago. I didn't know where to go, what to do…I somehow ended up here, without knowing why I chose this particular place. Amnesia you say…? No. It's more like I didn't have any memories to begin with. I look around me…and it's as if I don't recognise this world at all…"

_No memories of this world… _

Those words triggered a chain of thoughts in Chihiro's mind. For she had the exact opposite feeling. The fact that she'd been somewhere else before, but she couldn't remember where. Only scattered memories passed before her eyes.

"But there's one thing I know for sure. Chihiro, I think that I came here because of you. You drove me to that school, and strangely enough, I felt as if I had to talk to you. You seem to be the only thing that makes sense around here."

She instantly thought that hearing something like this would definitely make her think that the guy is nuts, but it seemed completely normal for some reason.

"I think…I know what you mean" she whispered. Kohaku looked at her in wonder, with those eyes that reminded her something between amber and emerald.

"Actually, I've been feeling weird ever since you came" she continued "I can't explain why. Just…don't think I'm crazy or something, I think that you started revealing another side of me."

He looked at the floor troubled, noticing the slight blushing on her face. He saw her looking down as she rose her hand to cover the left side of her face. _A girl crying…Her straight brown hair is stained by the tears, flowers and plants are all around her…_

It was the first time Kohaku had visioned such an image. Where did it come from? And why did that girl resemble Chihiro so much?

"Are you alright?" her voice made him snap out of it. She was sitting in front of him, holding his shoulder so tight that it hurt "Oh, sorry. You went blank and…I thought something had happened to you…"

"No, I'm fine" he smiled back at her.

"It's getting late. I'd better get going. I'll see you tomorrow at school…I guess" she said and Kohaku discerned some spark in her eyes before she left.

For the first time, Chihiro was absolutely sure about what she had to do.

* * *

**Thanks for the reviews guys! It's been a long time since the third chapter, I've been really busy. Anyway hope you like this one. Finally, teh story has started becoming more intriguing.**


	5. The Way Back

CHAPTER V

-the way back-

Chihiro descended the stairway hastily, almost running. She found herself in the streets again, making way through crowds of people as she took the way home. She didn't pay much attention...her mind was too busy to do so. She thought of Kohaku alone in his room. A rare smile formed on her lips. She knew there was something there, in the depths of her mind. A memory, perhaps? Something yelled in her head that she knew the way to find out.

Upon reaching home she immediately rushed to her room, on the second floor. She knew what to look for. There was a scene playing over and over on the back of her eyes; her mother was cleaning up the room, throwing away useless things. What Chihiro clearly remembered was the terror she felt as soon as she saw a box inside the garbage bag. A normal, brown paper box. The box she never let her mother throw away, even if the latter insisted that it was junk.

That box...However, the last time she had seen it was years ago. She frantically started searching the room, under every surface and inside every space. She emptied out all the drawers and cabinets but it was nowhere to be found. She looked around all the mess and sighed in dismay. It was a cool night but she felt as if hot, iron hands were curling around her neck. She sat next to the window and tried to think...It can't be, the box should have been around there...But why did she want to find it so badly, in the first place?

She went downstairs and sat on one of the chairs in the kitchen.

"Mom..."

"Yes?" she answered, while washing some dishes in the sink.

"Do you remember when we moved here, six years ago?" muttered Chihiro.

"Of course, why would I forget?"

"Well...did anything, uh, strange happen then?"

"Um...now that you mention it, not really...Oh, when we reached the house, the moving van wasn't here. And then they said that we hadn't contacted them for weeks, but I say that they were just stupid. We called them right when we got into town..."

_We had been missing for weeks..._

Chihiro traced back on that day, when after hours of driving they had finally gotten close to the town. She could clearly remember her dismay for moving away. She recalled taking another route at some point..._a red tunnel? _Some images popped out of nowhere. There was a wide meadow covered with smooth, green grass as far as you could some points the scenery was interrupted by old, semi run-down buildings or rocks. Chihiro was certain that she had seen those images with her own eyes. And then, something else clicked in her mind...

She went up the stairs leading to the attic. There was no electricity in there, so she had to bring some candles. In time, they had changed that space into a storeroom. Old unwanted things were piled up everywhere, nobody had bothered to throw them away. Chihiro started looking around for the box, but eventually she had to push away other objects. After half an hour of looking, she finally got her hands on a dusty rectangular box, hidden behind an old electrical heater. She pulled the box to the centre of the room.

Panting, a victorious grin lit her face. She wiped the dust off the surface and opened the upper part of the paper box. She couldn't see well in the dim light, but there weren't many objects inside. She took out a pair of yellow small shoes, some broken toys and a shirt. She felt the bottom of the box for any small objects she might have missed. When she touched something, she lifted it up to examine it under the light of the candles.

It was something that seemed to be a hair tie, made by purple shimmering thread. It felt like silk on the touch. She wondered where she had gotten it. But somehow, she already knew the answer. The thread was weaved by three good friends. The hair band was made by a witch, whose name was Zeniba. Chihiro could clearly bring Zeniba's figure in her mind. And then, she knelt down as her memories had started to rush in...

_So this is it. The purple hair band is the connection. _

Chihiro felt a small pinch in the chest as she realized the reason behind the emptiness she had been experiencing. That gap between her childish and adolescence years had started getting full with all those things that were missing. The Bath House, the Spirits, the Gods and...Haku. Finally, she recalled the name of the person she had tried to reach on that autumn day.

**My writing is getting worse and worse...Ugh, I'm almost done with that nightmare of a school year and I have a summer before the real deal. Depressing.**


	6. When You Promise

CHAPTER VI

-when you promise-

"So...how are you feeling?" said Chihiro as soon as she sat down on the grass.

"I'm fine. Thanks to you, of course" he responded, smling at her gaciously.

"You should be careful from now on. After all, you're a human now."

Kohaku's expression froze for a couple of seconds. He stayed there just looking at her, as if the time had stopped.

"...What? You don't mean that..." he muttered.

Chihiro smiled.

"Haku. That's what I used to call you. Or rather, that used to be your name back then. A fake name. Strong enough to bind you to that place for centuries" she explained.

Kohaku averted his eyes and looked at the ground. He was abviously battling with his mind.

"Kohaku..." she whispered and he looked back at her. It was the first time she had seen him look so troubled "I know. Don't worry, I know now. And even if you don't remember, I'll do everythting possible to remind you. You were right...so right about everything..." the look in her eyes had changed completely since the previous night.

They remained there in silence for a few moments, until Chihiro spotted her group near the building. They saw her and signaled her to come their way.

Kohaku smiled at her.

"Go, we can always talk later..."

"Uh, allright."

"And, hey!" he said before she left "I'm glad that my suspicions have turned true. At least now I know that I'm not what I seem to be..."

Chihiro didn't answer, she grinned and kept walking.

~/~

"Heeeey...I sense a litlle something here!" said Aiko with a teasing voice.

"Haha, yeah. Chihiro, is there something going on with the new guy?"

Both Aiko and Yuuki were sitting at the opposite side of the table, facing Chihiro with that typical scandalous expression.

"No. Your sense is just bad" she responded bluntly.

"But hey, you guys hang out almost all the time. I mean...it's normal. Nothing to be afraid of."

Chihiro stopped fiddling with her food and shot Aiko a murderous look.

"There's nothing, Aiko."

The girl seemed to be taken aback by Chihiro's sudden change of attitude. After that the conversation revolved around school subjects until the next period.

~/~

"I'm not even sure how to make your memories come back...But, it's so ironic. I mean, how did you even turn into a human...?

Chihiro was walking back and forth in Kohaku's room, as he sat on the bed, listening to her. After a while she sat down next to him and glanced out of the window.

"You probably don't remember it." she muttered "But...before parting ways you had promised that we'd meet again. If you hadn't come, I would just continue living my ordinary life. I would have never recalled what I experienced then. So...I promise I'll find a way to make your memories return. Because neither of us is allowed to live on without knowing..."

Chihiro wondered about the Spirit World. What might have happened? Why did Haku have a human form? What about the place itself? There were so many question marks...

"Chihiro" he whispered.

"Uh, yeah?" she turned her head quickly to face Kohaku, feeling the blood rushing up to her face.

"We'll make it through" his voice was low but his smiling face had a huge reassuring effect on her.

She stayed silent even when they heard the soft sound of a light rain. She stayed there, thinking about hundreads of things at a time, with Kohaku's hands wrapped around hers.

The highway, the forest, the tunnel...She was immensed in the desire to go to that place. It could even be the only way.


	7. The Tunnel

CHAPTER VII

-the tunnel-

Chihiro looked through the window while the bus crossed the town. As they moved further away from the center, the buildings became sparse, there was more vegetation. The crimson sunlight reflected on the glasses of windows, the scenery was beautiful, but all she could think of was the time she would get off and see that place with her own eyes. She wanted to make sure, that it was real.

"Don't be so tense..." he said behind her ear.

Chihiro almost jumped up and shot him an electrifying look.

"How? It's not a simple trip out of town..." she muttered.

They had already gotten out of town. The bus joined up in the fork and made a stop next to an old candy shop. Chihiro knew the way well, because she attended the elementary school just some squares ahead. But this time, she grabbed Kohaku's hand and started walking back towards the fork. The sun had started to set. After walking quite a while, they reached the top of the road leading back to town. Chihiro looked around and soon spotted some vegetation on the right side.

"That's it..." she whispered.

Kohaku went first, looking through the trees. There was a small path, which Chihiro remembered to be a lot wider. It was barely noticeable between the trees. They looked at each other and started walking. The sun was still on the sky when they reached the end.

It was all just like her memories. The tall wall, the green surrounding, even the creepy-looking stone statue. She placed her palm on the plastered wall, with the color of a faded red. The other side of the tunnel was calling for her. She could feel the breeze on her ankles, pushing her to step inside. She was stunned by this feeling, and stayed there until she felt Kohaku's hand on her shoulder.

"So, this is how it began. We'll find out soon, Chihiro. Let's go..." he said and offered his hand. They started walking inside, and little by little the sounds from the other world became distant, and the only thing they could hear was the sound of their steps and breathing. Once they went out into the light, Chihiro looked at Kohaku, trying to find a change in his expression. He shook his head and patted her back.

It was the old train station. The light sneaked inside through the windows, it all had a touch of nostalgia. Kohaku was still holding her hand as he went outside. Chihiro couldn't help but leave a small sound of amazement at the scenery. It was as beautiful as before, green grass everywhere and the crystal clear sky. Nothing had changed. The semi-ruined buildings and the scattered stone statues. Her father had said that the place was once a theme park, abandoned due to the economy.

"It does feel like a different world" said Kohaku.

"Yes...it does. Come on, I can't wait..." she said and went forward.

They crossed the shallow brook and went up to the passage between the buildings. They were all shops, mostly restaurants, painted with vivid colors until time faded them away. Silence. The sun had almost fallen behind the horizon, its last rays were weak and they soon disappeared.

Chihiro stood on the bridge heading to the Bath House. The bridge which was once swarming with spirits, coming and going. She turned around and smiled.

"Kohaku, this is where I first met you. You told me to go away before the darkness falls but I couldn't...Soon, the lights will be turned on, I'm sure you'll remember. Just a little more..."

She stayed there, looking around for any signs, it got darker minute by minute, but not even one spirit was around. The lights wouldn't fire up.


	8. Welcoming

CHAPTER VIII

-welcoming-

Chihiro looked around hoping to see even a small light. What she was waiting for didn't happen, Kohaku could sense her disappointment.

"No...It can't be..." she knelt down on the wooden bridge. The only source of light was a half moon that had just appeared. Kohaku went near and placed his arm around her shoulders. Why wouldn't they appear? She thought that it might all be a dream after all. The place was empty and lifeless.

"Chihiro, don't question your conscience. I believe in you. I know that I'm not human, or that I was not human originally, at least..."

She wanted to rely on Kohaku's words, but if the Spirit World had ceased to exist, maybe it had never existed in the first place. That was her reasoning.

"Hey...look over there" he muttered.

She lifted her eyes from the wooden floor to see a faint light moving in the abyss. It was making its way through ruins and buildings, probably heading their way. Chihiro couldn't imagine what it could be.

Once the light was close enough for them to see, Chihiro got up instantly and started running towards it. It was a lone lamp, hopping on a white gloved hand at the base of its pole. It was the same lamp post that had once led Chihiro to Zeniba's house, when she reached the Swamp Bottom on a train. The lamp just stood there, waiting for the two of them to take a step. When they started walking, it also turned around and started hopping through the darkness. Chihiro looked at Kohaku, and he smiled at her in response.

If this lamp was there, then it would most probably lead them to Zeniba again. Chihiro knew that there was something wrong, and she would find out what it was.

The hopping lamp post guided them along a narrow path through a cluster of trees, resembling a small forest. Then, what they reached was the small house that Chihiro remembered as the house in Swamp Bottom. It was identical. Except the fact that, they weren't in Swamp Bottom. The lamp post pulled back into a corner, encouraging them to keep going forward. Without a word, Kohaku and Chihiro walked up to the door, but it opened before they even got to knock.

"Come in, you two...I'm busy with the tea, so take a seat" Chihiro's heart jumped when the old but familiar voice reached her ears "Chihiro, was it? I remember it as clear as yesterday, when you came to bring back my sister's seal and apologize for this Dragon's doing."

They stepped inside and sat on the table in the center. Kohaku observed the surroundings. The house looked old, yet it had a very warm feel. Zeniba's back greeted them from the fire stove, where she prepared the tea. And there, in a corner next to the stove, stood a dark slim figure, with a white mask on the spot where there was supposed to be a head.

"This is...No Face!" Chihiro stood up and went towards him. No Face couldn't talk of course, but he nodded a few times while staring at her, and Chihiro took it as a "welcome back".

"He's been sad while you were gone, you know" said Zeniba, "but he is an excellent assistant."

The old woman brought the tea and poured some on two cups. Then she offered the first to Kohaku with her huge mouth forming a grin, and the other one to Chihiro.

"You sure have grown a lot! What a fine lady you've become!" she said looking at her "And you! You have grown too...even in a human form, that is!" she told Kohaku and chuckled.

"Granny Zeniba..." muttered Chihiro.

"I know, I know...You two want to know what's wrong here, am I right?"

"Not just that." It was the first time Kohaku had spoken since entering the house "There is also something else. I have no memories...of this place. Even though I know I don't belong in the human world, I don't know how I ended up being a human, or what I was before that."

Zeniba furrowed her eyebrows and looked down, at her heavy with rings fingers.

"My dear, I'm afraid that there is no way to make your memories return. No way that I know of, at least. You see, one can not achieve everything with magic, let alone the fact that mine is getting weaker by the time..."


	9. It's a Human World

CHAPTER IX

-it's a human world-

Chihiro looked at Kohaku in dismay, but he didn't show any sign of disappointment. His emerald eyes were steadily locked on the table. Zeniba started talking again.

"It's a misfortune I can not help you this time, my dear. But, I can tell you the reason behind all of this. You can still go back, and forget everything. However, you might even be our last hope..." Zeniba paused as if she was asking whether to continue or not.

Chihiro turned to Kohaku, who this time returned the look and answered.

"We will listen" and Zeniba intertwined her fingers and placed her hands on the wooden surface.

"When the world was first created, Spirits and humans lived in harmony. It was a very long time ago. The Spirits always stood on humanity's side, they were the ones who helped them and controlled the forces of nature. Small or big, every community had its own God they prayed to, so the Spirits were all delighted that they earned such respect. Nevertheless, as centuries passed by, the humans started believing in their own strength and they neglected their Gods. They accomplished a lot of things on their own and they forgot that everything they had was thanks to the Spirits. That is the main story..." she paused.

No Face moved from his spot and went to fetch a bowl of cookies. Zeniba took one and continued.

"But humans have even started to destroy nature. The Spirits tried to punish them many times, but humans would just not listen. It was shortly after you left" at this point she looked at Kohaku "that less and less Spirits began coming to the Bath House. They said that it was a waste of time, so they selfishly withdrew into their Realm and refused to cooperate with human beings. As a result, the Bath House had as few customers as ever, and most employees couldn't work. Some disappeared, others turned into animals and scattered to the human world." At this point, Chihiro instantly thought of the bird she had seen some months before.

"Consequently, my sister couldn't run the business anymore, so I suppose that after packing up all of her gold and jewels, she fled away. This place is empty now, devoid of any magical traces. No Face and I, are the only ones around..." Zeniba sighed.

Both Chihiro and Kohaku looked astonished. No Face was naturally the only one who seemed to be calm.

"So in other words..." Kohaku said "It was a chain effect. And the ones responsible for this, are the humans?"

Zeniba nodded.

Chihiro looked at her, and only then did she realize why Zeniba had hesitated telling the truth.

"My race..." she began to say, but she couldn't finish the sentence.

After some moments the girl let a sigh through the nose, rose her head and looked at Zeniba in the eye.

"Granny, I want to go to where Yubaba is."

Zeniba burst into a loud laughter.  
"I knew you would say that! And if you are lucky, she may still be where I think she is."

Zeniba stood up and went to the back of the room. When she returned, she was holding two one-way tickets. Chihiro immediately recognized them, as the tickets to the train she once rode to the Swamp Bottom.  
"The train still works?" she exclaimed.

"It does. But it's too late now, it should pass by the station tomorrow before sunset. You have to get off at the last stop, the Sprinkling Square" she said and handed over the tickets.

"Granny, thank you" said the girl and hugged Zeniba, who was surprisingly shorter than Chihiro.

"Now, now...I am the one who should thank you two. And Kohaku, make sure to protect the girl, or else..." she glared at him and passed her finger across her non-existent neck.

"I would do so either way" he smiled and bowed.

Chihiro went to say goodbye to No Face, and he nodded as usual, but this time he seemed more vivid.

The couple took the way they had come, but this time the hopping light didn't show them the way. As they went further away from the house, the surroundings became darker and darker, but Chihiro didn't care. Her mind was occupied with Zeniba's words, and she struggled to think of a way that would bring about a change.


	10. Deep Feelings

CHAPTER X

-deep feelings-

Chihiro and Kohaku walked further and further away from the path, eventually reaching the bridge to the Bath House. Chihiro paused and looked up at the building. There was something stuck between her lungs, and it seemed painful to breath each time. She wanted to know if it was because of Kohaku's memory, or the fact that this world was being abandoned by the Gods.

"So, this place is no more..." she mumbled.

"Chihiro, you know...I may not remember, but I feel that we have a story long way back. It was an amazing story, wasn't it?" he said as they sat down.

"Yes, it was..."

"So, are you going to erase that story along with this one? You are going to fight...right?"

Chihiro looked surprised by those words.

"It's just that...my magical world seems to evaporate right in front of me. And I don't know if I can do anything to stop it. Now that I found it again...how can I lose it...?" she said in low voice, and a sob started running up her throat. The half moon observed from the top of the sky as if it was to fall down at any moment.

Kohaku hugged her and let her cry in his arms. After a few moments she calmed down and looked at the horizon again. But Kohaku placed his fingers under her chin and turned her to face him. Her eyes were still teary.

"You sure cry a lot...Too bad I can't perform a strength spell this time..." he smiled bitterly.

Chihiro's eyes opened widely. She was about to gasp something out, but Kohaku silenced her with a kiss. He was quick, yet his lips fell softly on hers. She was surprised even more by this.

As soon as they separated, a blushing Chihiro looked up with a vague look in her eyes.

"But...How? Uhh...when?" she blurted out.

"When I saw you crying, I think. It was so sudden, as if a door opened in front of me. When I went through that door...It all came back." he answered, not showing the slightest sign of being upset.

"Oh..." she muttered and smiled at him "So, now I think I can sleep without worries..."

"Yes. You'd better rest." he agreed and patted her head.

Kohaku leaned back on the wooden rail of the bridge as Chihiro rested her head on his chest.

He recalled the sleepless nights he had spent in that room.

_As a human, I'm a quite tense one, _he thought to himself and smiled at his own comment. He wondered when he had slept for the last time. His eyelids were dropping, and the only sound in his ears was Chihiro's calm breathing. He eventually gave in to fatigue.

_~/~_

By the time they arrived at the station, the sun had just started diving. That one time that Chihiro had reached the station, she had help from Lin since the place was flooded like an ocean. But it didn't seem like that at all, this time. In fact, there was no trace of water whatsoever. They walked all the way, hand by hand, until the elevated point of the railway. They didn't wait much, the train stopped in front of them soon enough. The same big shady spirit took the tickets Zeniba had gave them. They sat down without saying a word.

"Let's see, how this story is going to unfold..." Chihiro said as she gazed through the window behind her.

Meanwhile, in a small spirit town not far away, a cook hastily went up the stairs of an old but prestigious building. It must have been built by aristocrats. He opened one of the many doors of the corridor and panting, he stepped in.

"Did you call?" he said in a respectful manner to the witch in front of him. She was sitting on a wooden chair, resting her huge head on her hand.

"Kanzai , prepare dinner for two more. It seems that guests are on their way."

**Awwww minna-san! Thanks a bunch for your reviews. They truly motivated me a lot. (Teary puppy eyes in front of my inbox). Ya know...Useless summer days, heat, blah blah and I sometimes lose any mood whatsoever. But I promised to myself that I'd finish this before summer ends. I really liked this chapter, btw.**


	11. The Town of Mischief

CHAPTER XI

-the town on mischief-

The train left with a roaming sound, leaving the two facing the entrance of a strange town. It seemed as if the whole town was surrounded with a high wall made of stones, leaving only a wide iron door in front of them. Chihiro tried to get in, but the door wouldn't budge. Then, as soon as Kohaku touched the handle, they heard a clicking sound from the other side. He pushed the handle down, and the huge door finally moved.

As they moved further into the strange town, they realized that it was inhabited only by Spirits who had gathered from different places of the country. As they walked, Chihiro unconsciously remembered the first time she had gone into the Spirit World, and was relieved to see that her limbs were solid. After a while of wandering, they reached some sort of market, and started looking around for something that would scream out Yubaba's presence.

"Young man!" they heard a thin squeaky voice.

Looking down, Chihiro and Kohaku saw a very short man, reaching just above their waists, with a turban on his head, giving out the illusion of some height.

"My master has sent me to fetch you, sir, and of course young lady..." he smirked at Chihiro "...my name is Luigi."

Then he signaled to follow him, and without another word they started making way through the crowd, careful not to lose Luigi from their sight.

"I should have known..." chuckled Kohaku.

When they reached a street less crowded, Luigi took a quick turn into an alley, and then everything seemed quiet and sounds were distant.

"You see, my master is the only one capable of doing this kind of spells, hiding her presence so well among other wizards and witches. In this town, there is only mischief, and everyone tries to feed themselves off the weak. So, have your eyes open and- Oh! Here we are."

They stopped in front of a huge building with walls made of large boulders, it looked like a castle and was totally unmatched with the rest of the area, surrounded by small poor-looking houses.

"In everyone else's eyes, this building looks like and ordinary shack" Luigi smiled behind his shoulder, as if there was nothing else in the whole world that made him more proud. He then unlocked the wooden double door and guided the two inside.

They were looking ahead at the long hall, with stone walls always and some oil lamps positioned here and there. There was no proper lightning, so the place gave off the feeling of a dungeon, with all those shadows cast by random items on the walls. Luigi took them upstairs where they met a new set of identical doors and turns. Chihiro wondered how he didn't get lost. Finally he paused his brisk walking some steps before a door on their right, and nodded back at them to get in.

Chihiro hesitated for a bit, but Kohaku pulled her hand gently and took a step forward.

Yubaba's office was no different than before. In fact, it was identical to the one she owned in the Bath House, not a single pillow missing, even the windows and the door to Baby's room seemed to be in the same position. Chihiro stood between the fireplace and Yubaba's desk, and once again, she became the ten year old girl stepping into another world.

"Well, well...I thought I'd never see you again, little girl. But I was _certain_ I would never see _you_ again, dragon boy" Yubaba gave them a scornful look as a cloud of smoke escaped her huge nostrils.

"We are here because we need your help, Yubaba" said Kohaku.

"That, I assumed" she smiled and got up from her chair "I'm surprised that you got as far as becoming a human yourself, but I guess I should leave that talk for another time..." she then nailed her eyes on Chihiro.

"Chihiro was it? So, how can I humbly offer my help?"

"Any kind of advice or information would do" she responded "but, in fact, what we want is to restore the Bath House and bring back the Spirit World."

Yubaba tilted her head back and burst out into a loud laughter.

"You? A mere human save the Spirit World? _MY _Bath House?" she panted "What can you possibly do to correct you own race's idiocy?"

Chihiro remained silent, although she wanted to say that a mere human had broken her contract some years back.

"The Spirit World is not gone, the only difference is that the Gods are no longer on our side..." Yubaba mumbled "So things have just gotten hard. We are going to survive, there is no need for your help."

"But I want to help!" Chihiro said back "I can't stand aside and live on not knowing what might happen! I want things the way they were before, please, anything you know may help us!"

Yubaba looked back at her with a fiery look in her eyes, indicating the coming of a furious outburst.

"Stubborn and selfish as always! Have you got no idea of what might happen to you if you involve yourself with the Gods? Foolish little human..." she sighed. But as she turned around, she saw Baby staring at her.

They were all so absorbed, that no one noticed that he had gotten into the room.

"Baba, if you don't help her, I'm going to cry..." he said and started making a bad face...

"Baby, ooh no don't cry..." Yubaba ran to him as he started making small crying sounds.

"You...y-you have to help her if she asks you to..." he said between his sobs as Yubaba tried her best to comfort him.

"No, don't cry my Baby! Here...here, I'll help her, all right...Now, now..." she murmured and took Baby back in his chamber, while Kohaku and Chihiro shot each other a victorious smile.


	12. Power Of Heart

CHAPTER XII

-power of heart-

"I thought that the oblivion spell that I put on you, just before you left, was nearly perfect...I am really curious about how you gained your memories back." said Yubaba, as another cloud of smoke filled the room. It had gotten quiet, the Baby was sound asleep in his room, and the three of them were still awake despite the late hour.

"You forgot about one thing magic cannot bind Yubaba, and it is no other than love. Chihiro's friends had made sure to keep her memories safe along with their own feelings when they started making that hair tie." Haku explained calmly and glanced at Chihiro who was sitting next to him on the floor.

"Although it does not compliment me, I have to say that you are right at that, dragon boy." she said "So, what are you two planning to do, youngsters?"

Chihiro breathed out slowly and declared "I want to confront the Gods!". Simply and gracefully with that look of unparalleled determination on her face.

Yubaba laughed, as expected. But this time it was mixed with a hint of expectation and encouragement. "A human going into the Realm of the Gods...and exactly what are you going to do once you see the Gods, little girl?"

"I...I'll think of something. But I'm sure that is the only possible way to solve things..."

Yubaba didn't speak, she just locked her eyes on nothing in particular and fell into deep thought. After a while she looked at Chihiro and Haku and spoke again in a serious tone. "When I first started studying magic, my fellow villagers would always say that the Gods dwell in a place no one has ever seen. It is said to be a forest invisible to the human eye. However..." she stopped and walked across the other side of the room to look into a cupboard. After throwing out a lot of stuff, she came back holding what seemed like a very old and rusty compass. "I have this. I stole it from the village temple a very long time ago. They say that it will take you where the Gods live."

Haku gently held the compass in his hand. It was round and had no marks on it, yet a very thin needle moved non-stop inside every time he turned it. It would always point on a fixed direction. "Maybe it works..." he said.

"Since you can't go anywhere tonight, I'm going to be kind enough and let you stay for the night. Luigi, go prepare two rooms for them." said Yubaba, and Luigi popped out from behind a desk, as if he had been listening all along.

"Follow me young lady" he said as he smirked at Chihiro "and young man" he looked at Haku. The two of them walked along the hallway following Luigi and took a right turn. Then they went up a staircase and got to what Chihiro suspected that was the upper floor. Luigi showed them two rooms, one next to each other, with identical wooden doors and knobs made of metal. Torches lit up on the wall beside each door.

"I shall take my leave...I wish you a good night" he said politely and quickly disappeared.

Haku and Chihiro were left alone facing the doors.

"So...which one do you want?" she said.

"They seem to be the same...so, why bother?" he replied and went ahead to open the door to the left.

"Haku..." she said as he took a step inside.

"Yes?" he smiled at her.

"I did say all those things back there but what if...what if I end up doing nothing?"

Haku looked into her eyes full of worry. Worry that made her soul shiver.

"I'm positive that when you put your mind on something you'll end up accomplishing it. After all you are that stubborn girl that set me free." he said in a calm voice.

Chihiro went through the open door, and noticed another torch on the wall, setting light on the small room with a bed and a small desk. On the opposite side of the door there was a balcony, made of stone.

"Hey, there's a balcony, let's go sit over there!" she sounded excited. Haku followed her and they went outside into the night.

Chihiro sat down leaning against the wall and looked down at the numerous other structures that crowded the ground. Haku sat beside her and took her hand in his.

"Haku...I am still wondering how you became a human.."

He looked around, unsure about the answer.

"Not long after you left I announced that I would leave. Yubaba never let me, of course. Her magic was weak, but she kept saying that if I go outside to the world of the humans, I will become speckles of dust or in the best case, an animal. And she was telling the truth, for I was nothing else than a spirit, not a human..."

"So, how did you escape?" Chihiro was craving to hear the rest.

"The last thing I remember was my desire to become a human. I longed to become one for a long time, maybe years, it was my only thought and source of power. I had no idea how, but I was determined to do it. My promise to you made me so desperate to go outside, that after a while I became an existence that no longer lived in peace. They were my worst days as a Spirit, and that's where my memories end. I have no other recollection, until the time I woke up as a human."

Chihiro was troubled and confused by his words. It was indeed so strange, as if something above them had decided to make this change. But she was so exhausted that any thought seemed to tire her. Slowly, without realizing it, she fell asleep.


End file.
